


10 Things I Hate About You

by MsNJS



Category: Suburgatory
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-11-25
Updated: 2012-12-07
Packaged: 2017-11-19 13:44:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/573904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsNJS/pseuds/MsNJS
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tessa realizes she likes Ryan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Girlfriend?

**Author's Note:**

> So I got this little idea for a Tessa and Ryan fic. Hope you like it! It's Un-betaed, sorry.

Something about the start of the spring semester that gives one a sense of reset. Even though it was the same school year, the calendar year was new, so it felt different. I spent the majority of the 14 days in the city with the maternal side of my family. Alex and I still hadn’t had the talk but from the conversations we did have, I genuinely liked her. 

Luckily for me, two weeks was more than enough time to completely detach from Chatswin. The Lisa and Malik situation had slipped my mind but was, by look of the vacant stare on Lisa’s face, still a situation. Dallas and George were still going strong—a thing that I surprisingly fully supported. Even though Dallas had slowly but surely commandeered my bathroom. Dalia was still Dalia...but less so...if that makes sense or is possible... Hell, I don’t even remember Ryan having a girlfriend.

Wait. Ryan has a girlfriend? 

There was this girl with long dark flowing hair draped all over Ryan. She had the kind of hair that looked obedient and shiny. And the kind of body people died for, paid for or even more annoying, was born into. She clung to his arm with both hands and randomly touched him in various places as she talked. Ew. 

Ryan wasn’t really responsive to her though. And he also kept looking at me, then looking away when we locked eyes. I would have been annoyed but seeing as how I was staring at him and that girl.... I couldn't say much.

She was surrounded by the kkk, a few token jocks and some wannabees. So I'm guessing she was a ‘big deal’. Whatever she was saying must have been interesting…. or pointless, considering the audience because they were laughing loudly and gawking.

Her clothes were standard Chatswin wear so I knew she was a native but I had never seen before. And I had definitely not seen her with Ryan. Not that it matter...

'Ryan has a girlfriend?' I asked Lisa apathetically.  
  
‘Mmh?’ was her answer.

I don’t know why I even asked. She had been out of it since Thanksgiving, reducing her vocabulary to ‘Mmmh?’, ‘Hun?’ and a shrug. She missed Malik, a lot. She often stared at the water fountain and had eaten at Fromage 8 times in the 3 weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas break. Who knows what kind of processed milk base product bender she partook in on the break? 

She had regret in her soul and sorrow on her face. And I was no use. I could not genuinely console her because she had made the wrong decision, Malik was right. So I just sighed occasionally and rubbed her shoulders hoping that, that would be sufficient for my BF duties.

I looked back at the pack. Ryan caught me. He glanced at the floor then back at me and smiled. I smile before I knew my lips were curling. Damn. He always gets me. Not that I am a total bitch and wouldn't smile back at him but I never have any say over it. It’s like my automatic reaction is to smile at him. Granted, it’s mostly in disbelief but sometimes it’s..... 

*Ring*

Damn, first period!!


	2. Pondering.

By second period I knew the girl’s name, Fiona Milani. She was a senior.

By fourth period I knew her weight, date of birth, genetic make-up: Italian and Welsh, her cosmetic make up: Sephora. She drove a silver Lexus, seriously. And she had been in LA for the past year and a half, living with her dad.

Not that I was digging for I information, I just happened upon it. Besides why would I care who she is...or if she was Ryan's girlfriend... or that Ryan had never mentioned her...not once. Not under the bleachers, not in my kitchen, not over fondue, not when he was touching my boob. Not when he Freddied my Daphne or when we... _I_ was babysitting.

“Are you going to eat that?” I asked zombie Lisa.

She had picked apart her burger and covered the fries in Mayo and ketchup, a combination that I would usually support but the little potato wedges were drowned in condiments and layered with mounds of salt and pepper. There was no saving them. I was eyeing the pickle though. She hadn't responded. I asked again. She shrugged. I took that as a no and took the pickle.

As I munched on crispy-salty-sour goodness and basically sat alone, I couldn't help but look over at center table with the popular kids. Ryan and that girl had their back to me so my observation was unnoticed. I was just curious. Of all the information that I had _involuntarily_ stumbled upon... no one had said much about the situation between Ryan and that girl.

I should stop calling her ‘that girl’. It sounds a little jealous. And I am NOT jealous.

I'm not. I don't even know why I'm thinking about it so much. I don't care. I really don't. Ryan is just my neighbor. My dumb jock neighbor, who, on some scales and rankings—I guess—could be considered attractive. Okay, on all scales, admitted. But I’ve been there done that. It was nice, really nice, but it’s not enough. We couldn't connect on any other plane.

We would never be curled up reading a book. I don't know any songs by Flo Rider and he wouldn't get the awesomeness of Bear Hands. Who knows if he can get into college? If I said I want to visit Turkey, he’d only think of Thanksgiving. And could I get him to watch a movie made before 1995?!

These things mattered! And Ryan just didn’t fit the bill. All I can say about him is that he is attractive, a great kisser…..annnnnd….he… is...sweet. He’s really sweet and not at all like the archetypical jock. Sometimes it makes me think that there HAS to be something more to him….

“Tessa!” Mr. Wetzel barked at me.

“The components are always combined in definite proportions.” I flawlessly answered and smile haughtily.

“That… is… correct, actually. Humph. Well, you stole that moment from me.”

He continued his lecture and I continued my pondering.


	3. Lists.

I politely declined an invitation for dinner at the Royce’s, citing homework. Although I could really go for a good home, well chef cooked meal, I had too much on my mind. By too much I really meant one thing, Ryan Shay.

It was starting to annoy me so much that I decided to take it old school and make a list. I didn’t rely on the standard pros and cons. The pros were very few although I could grade them on a curve…..I decided circa 1999 ‘10 things I Hate About You’. Hate is strong, (Scratches out the word hate) more like ‘don’t like’ about you. And by write I mean typed, numbered, spell checked and multi spaced.

The first few came easy. 10. I don’t like his music. 9. I don’t like his hobbies. 8. I don’t like his choice of movies. 7. I don’t like the way he eats chicken. That was being nitpicky, that shouldn’t really count right? Maybe. We’ll see… 6. I don’t like his GPA. 5. I don’t like that he’s only a jock…. Number 5 and number 9 are pretty much the same thing (scratches 9 off). Okay, so that’s one, two, three four… four things. I have four concrete facts. I need more though, 4 wasn’t even half a list…. I can’t really…OH! NUMBER 1. Fiona Milani! I DO NOT like the fact that he has a girlfriend. AND he never said anything about it. That’s big, that’s a good two things and they have weight. That could easily be a 4 for 2.

I stared at the paper for another 8 minutes and could not come up with anything. So I deemed my number one and two also 3 and 4 and a half which brought me up to a solid 8.5, which rounds up to 10 so…success!

I smiled proudly. I would probably never need to look at this again but I hit print just in case—nothing like a hard copy. As I retrieved the paper the door bell rang.

It was Ryan.

“Ryan?!” I said, more shocked than intended.

“Tessa!” he replied equally surprised.

“What are you doing here?”

‘We need to talk.”

“Okaaayy?”

“I just want you to know that she’s not my girlfriend."

“She isn’… I mean, why are you telling me?”

“I just want you to know. I don’t want you to think I was using you for your soft lips and fair supple skin and fiery hair. Or lying to you about wanting you.”

I smirked, he is so.... “Nope, that never crossed my mind.”

His face twitched a bit and he looked down at the ground. 

“Oh. Well I… uh, okay.” He gave me a half smile, turned and awkwardly walked away.

I close the door and marched heavily up the stairs. I felt bad for lying and hurting his feelings. And to top it off, I just lost half my list.

I might have a problem.


	4. Eighty-Three!

After my Ryan freak out I got a visit from my monthly visitor. I credited the tiny, tiny bit of jealousy, and obsessive pondering to hormones and went on about my life. Your period can be a real bitch but it’s nice when she arrives and you can blame her for your actions.  
I had been in Mr. Wolf’s office for an annoying amount of time. He had gotten lost on several tangents, taken two phone calls and was now helping the assistant principal with a wardrobe malfunction. Her dress had split and he was the nearest gay.  
I started eyeing his wall décor. Based on his certificates and degree he was actually legitimately qualified to guide and council us—if only he was any good at it. Although, this college tour for spring break was a pretty cool idea.  
Mr. Wolf wanted me to help organize a five day, five college tour to Brown, Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, NYU, and Boston University for 30 of Chatswin’s best and brightest. I was surprised that Chatswin could produce that many intelligent and ambitious students.  
NYU was my dream school—academically and socially renown and amazingly located. I had already been there enough times to give the tour myself but I hadn’t seen it in a while so I was excited.  
“Alright Tessa, as I was saying you will be the liaison between the students and the tour director. All questions, comments and concerns and money will be relayed to you. Then you will correspond with the tour guide.”  
“Perfect!”  
“The biggest thing you will be responsible for is the permission slips and money. The school is paying for half of the trip and the students will neeC to pay the remaining $300. Both are due February 20th, no exceptions.”  
“I can handle that.”  
“Great! Here is a list of the participants. It may fluctuate a couple students or so but that is pretty definite.”  
Lisa Shay, Malik LaFreak, Evan Fischer, Randall Winkle, Me, Taylor Adcock...… annnddd RYAN SHAY!!?!?  
“Ryan Shay?” I nearly yell. I couldn’t hide the shock because it was genuine.  
“Yes Ryan Shay, what is the problem Tessa?”  
“I thought you said this was for the brightest and best of Chatswin.”  
Mr. Wolf stared at me confused. I stared at him perplexed. “Tessa, I know how you feel about athletes. But he is 'The Body!' It doesn’t get better or brighter.”  
“Riiiggght.” I decided to let it go before more ‘logic’ was thrown at me. Besides if Ryan was going it didn’t matter. I don’t care. I don’t even know why I asked. I stood up, grab my bag to leave and headed for the door.  
“Besides in order to go on this trip all the students must have a 2.75 GPA or better.”  
“A 2.75?” My voice cracked.  
“Mmhmmm.” He said as he focused on his computer, probably a tense round of fruit ninja or bejeweled.  
“So what ..,” I got flustered, floored by the information. “What is… What is that? Like a C or C+?”  
“82 or higher.”  
“Eighty-two? B-?” My eyed were so wide I felt them drying. “Oh. O…okay.” Was all I could feebly respond.

An 82, an 82! Eighty-freaking-two?! That would mean that… Ryan. is not. dumb? Oh my god… HOW is that possible?


	5. Not Dumb.

This whole Ryan isn’t dumb thing really threw me for a loop. It was like being 3 and finding out your parents were Santa Claus. Or when they discovered the earth was round. Or going to see your favorite band and they use auto tune. It.was.bad.

My initial thought was that he was somehow cheating. But I don’t think Ryan would do that. Plus successful cheating, to cheat in every class, would take a lot of thought and planning. Even if he wasn’t dumb, I don’t think he’s calculating.

Then I thought about that old saying ‘Book sense, no common sense.” That could have been it except as I have been saying Ryan is not dumb, but that doesn’t mean he‘s a genius. Usually those people are academically excellent and just lack the common sense.

His teachers could be cheating for him. And while I could see that from Coach More, our history teacher, and Ms. Kim, our resident hot Spanish teacher. I doubt Ms. Grendel, math, and Mr. Kavakondola, science, would do that. I am not sure of his other teachers but I know those two would not budge. Kavakondola wouldn’t let me turn in an extra credit assignment 3 minutes late. EXTRA CREDIT! Side note, I am a little upset that I know that Ryan and I share those 4 teachers. I don’t know how or why I know that but let’s move right along.

After thinking it over, I decided to go to the best source, Lisa.

She was started to use her words again so this should be easy information to obtain. The tricky part was finding out without outright asking. I had a perfect plan: talk about the trip, assignments and grades, teachers, parent’s pressure and so on. Then butter her up with…

“I bet academics is the one thing you beat Ryan at!”

“Eh,” she replied.

I wasn’t sure if the ‘eh’ was her break up language flaring up or a genuine feeling about her grades compared to Ryan’s. I discreetly dug deeper.

“What do you mean, eh?”

There was a long pause. She was filling out some puzzle in a magazine.

My eyes started bugging out waiting for her to reply.  “Lisa?” I snapped at her.

“I mean he does alright. Yes, I am better than him, naturally. I am me and he is Ryan, but he fairs well.”

“Really?” I said in a faux shocked voice.

“Yeah, it’s not that surprising. My parents spend a small fortune on private tutoring.”

“Oooohhhhh.”  The light bulb went off. Lisa just started at me curiously.

“Yeah.” She cocked her head to the side and started at me. “You’ve been acting weird lately. Are you okay?”

“Mmhhmm….” I nod.

+

Later I found myself staring at the list I thought I would never have to look at again.

  _So he isn’t naturally not-dumb, should that still count?_

Well, knowing you need help and accepting it **is** really smart _and_ admirable.  

*Sighs*

 _Damn him!_ (Scratches off number 6)


End file.
